1、中科院西雙版納熱帶植物園50周年園慶大會海外科學家發(fā)言(W. John Kress)首先,感謝陳進主任盛情邀請,得以參加中國科學院西雙版納熱帶植物園50周年國際研討會,并代表國外科學家在慶祝大 會上發(fā)言.為什么我能獲此殊榮十多年前,一個偶然的時機,使我與版納植物園連在了一起, 從那時起,我目睹了她令人難忘的開展歷程.1995年,我第一次知道西雙版納熱帶植物園,當時我還根本無法準確讀生西雙版納這個詞.那一年,我第一次來到中國,參加由華南植物園 舉辦的第二屆國際姜科植物學大會,也是剛剛開始從事姜科分 類學和系統(tǒng)學工作.在此期間,我遇到了也是剛剛開始對姜科 感興趣的年輕科學家李慶軍,他和他夫人夏永梅

2、給了我大量的 照顧.我們一同登上植物園附近的石灰山,尋找一個特別罕見、 此前我從未在野外見過的姜科植物屬,Pommereschia屬.從此,我見證了西雙版納熱帶植物園,在先進的教育與研究規(guī)劃根底 上,從一個鄉(xiāng)土植物園向現(xiàn)代化植物園轉化的過程.從那時開始,我與李博士及其研究組成員在姜科植物學方面 的合作研究,逐漸深入,包括野外觀測和實驗測定.我在 Smithsonian研究院的實驗室屢次接待了他和他組員、學生的來 訪,以及夏永梅、劉愛忠、張玲等.今后,他的研究組將能更 多地來Smithsonian ,共同學習和分享熱帶植物學知識.2003年,我成為版納植物園的海外咨詢專家.2006年,通過陳進主

3、任和李慶軍博士努力,我獲得了云南省授予的彩云獎.我深感榮幸.這些經(jīng)歷,使我能在此發(fā)言,描述西雙版納熱帶植物園的進 步,尤其是研究工程進展,以及在森林生態(tài)學、熱帶植物系統(tǒng) 分類學、以有保護生物學方面發(fā)揮的引領作用.首先,我想強 調(diào)西雙版納植物園在景觀建設和植物造景方面跨越式的進展.在先輩們半個世紀所奠定的根底上,正像其它植物園一樣,版 納植物園新、老園區(qū)景觀質量都得到了進一步地提升,使來自 世界各地的人,都為她寧靜而壯麗的熱帶植物生命所深深吸引.過去十年中,版納植物園十分注重科技培訓與學生培養(yǎng).與當?shù)乩习傩展餐ぷ?增強了他們對自然的尊重,也獲得了民 族植物學新知識.,并為植物園在生態(tài)學和熱帶生

4、態(tài)系統(tǒng)進化生 物學方面提供了極好的條件.作為Smithsonian的研究人員,我對西雙版納植物園的科研 進展留下了深刻的印象.我很難對此作全面的描述,只能以自 己親身經(jīng)歷的幾件事來說明.在熱帶植物分類學方面,植物園 標本館采用了數(shù)字化技術,使得全世界各地的研究人員都能獲 取所需要的標本信息.在熱帶森林生態(tài)學方面,姜科和榕屬植 物傳粉的進化生態(tài)學研究取得了積極的進展.最近,版納植物 園建立了 20公頃大樣地,成為 CTFS全球網(wǎng)絡中的一局部.對 CTFS樣地,稍后我會有更多的說明.我對 Chuck Cannon博士 提生的森林遺傳圖譜有同樣深刻的印象,這將為植物園熟悉熱 帶森林群落建立新的方向.

5、版納植物園利用遺傳工程和繁殖技 術,在生物能源植物小桐子方面開展的研究工作,也將為植物 園帶來新的建樹和效益.然而,最具印象的進展,應該是版納植物園在國際熱帶生物 學行動中所發(fā)揮的引領作用,尤其是在熱帶生物學與保護協(xié)會 ATBC及其它相關組織中所起的作用.ATBC是最大的一個致力于熟悉和保護熱帶生物多樣性的專業(yè)協(xié)會,版納植物園在其中 起到了重要的作用.作為 ATBC的成員和?熱帶生物學? (Biotropica)期刊的編委,陳進博士、曹敏博士和李慶軍博士 都發(fā)揮了重要作用.版納植物園承辦了ATBC2006年年會,使全球各地的熱帶生物學家聚集在中國,近來植物園還將在 ATBC亞太分會主席,陳進博

6、士的倡導下,方案創(chuàng)辦一本熱帶保護生 物學的電子期刊.這些難以說是不平凡的舉動,反映由了版納 植物園在國際科學舞臺上所起的重要作用.還想說的是,版納植物園將在今年 7月承辦國際姜科植物學 大會,而Smithsonian也曾參與角逐承辦權,但版納植物園,慶 軍把它淘汰由局.今天,在版納植物園回首過去、 展望未來的慶典時刻, 我們 不禁要問這樣一個問題：為什么我們,以及版納植物園要努力 保護熱帶森林科學家們,包括很多在熱帶工作的科學家們, 為自然生境的日益退化和即將來臨的物種滅絕而大聲疾呼,其 早期思想根源于一種尊重生命及其原初形式的道義.但以這種 道義來保護生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的思想,很快就被以實際價值來衡量

7、生物 多樣性的方式所取代,以增強人們對生物多樣性的重視.這樣, 生物物種及其土著知識的知識產(chǎn)權受到了重視,特別是長期生 活在高度生物多樣性環(huán)境中人們所產(chǎn)生的知識.這種理念,在 很多情況下不同程度地限制了科學家對生物及其生境開展研究 的水平,由于至今我們?nèi)噪y以證實我們確實從自然產(chǎn)品中獲得了期望的財富.因此,當前保護生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的理念,轉換為它為 人類所提供的效勞功能,如潔凈的空氣,純潔的水,傳授花粉, 或者碳庫.必須保護自然生境以維持這些效勞功能,由于它們 對人類的生存至關重要.五十年的歷程,版納植物園由一個森林利用的基地, 轉變成 為了一個熱帶植物園藝展示和引領教育、研究以及熱帶物種及 其生境保護

8、的植物園.通過各種園藝、科研和推廣工程,特別 在近十年中,西雙版納植物園已開展成為中國和世界熱帶植物 學和生態(tài)學的領導者.活植物收集區(qū)的新設計及其未來,新科 研中央的建設,標志著未來數(shù)十年內(nèi)版納植物園這種開展的高度和產(chǎn)生O西雙版納植物園的使命是開展生物多樣性有效保護的策略和方法,以及植物資源可持續(xù)利用的技術,為森林生態(tài) 系統(tǒng)生態(tài)學和保護生物學的理論與技術創(chuàng)新以及推動社會經(jīng)濟 的可持續(xù)開展做奉獻 " 在這次的國際研討會上,我們還將回憶 并贊譽植物園所取得的成績,并展望未來開展,特別在熱帶森 林保護方面,以使版納植物園為熱帶植物多樣性知識創(chuàng)新,為 保護我們所生存的星球,作由持續(xù)的、更大的

9、奉獻.謝謝大家！Statement from Foreign Scientists on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenW. John KressNational Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC, USAandXishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenThe Chinese Academy of Sciences

10、 Mengla, Yunnan, ChinaI would like to begin by thanking my colleague and friend the Director of XTBG Dr. Chen Jin for his invitation to participate in this anniversary symposium and his invitation to provide a brief statement representing the foreign scientists present at this conference celebrating

11、 the (Anniversary of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. Why should I be asked to provide this opening statement?I have been fortunate to be associated with XTBG for over a decade and have watched the impressive growth of the garden during that time. My first encounter with the Garden was i

12、n 1995 when I couldn 'even correctly pronounce the name “Xishuangbanna. At that time I had attended the Second International Symposium on the Ginger Family, which had been hosted by the South China Botanical Garden. That trip was my first visit to China and I was just beginning work on the taxon

13、omy and phylogeny of the gingers. I was lucky at that time to meet Qing-Jun Li, who was also just developing an early interest in the Zingiberaceae as a young scientist and he, along with his wife, Yong-Mei Xia took care of me during my stay. Together we climbed the limestone mountain near the Garde

14、n to find an extremely rare genus of ginger called Pommereschia, which to this day I have never encountered again the wild. At that time I saw XTBG at the start of its transition from a local tropical garden to a modern botanical garden with advanced programs of education and research.Since that fir

15、st visit I have been collaborating with Dr. Li and members of his research group on many aspects of the biology of the gingers, including field observations and laboratory experiments. I have hosted a number of his staff and students at our lab at the Smithsonian, including Qing-Jun for numerous vis

16、its, as well as Dr. Xia Yong-Mei, Dr. Liu Ai-Zhong, Dr. Zhang Ling, and hopefully many more of his group will come to the Smithsonian to learn about and share our collective knowledge of tropical plants.I was also honored in 2003 to be invited to be one of the first Foreign Adjunct Professors in the

17、 Chinese Academy of Sciences at XTBG. And in 2006 through the efforts of Qing-Jun and Chen Jin I was awarded the Caiyun Medal by the Yunnan Province for our collaboration and long-lasting friendship. I am delighted and in debt to XTBG for these privileges and honors.So these are the experiences and

18、credentials with which I am equipped to speak about the achievements and successesof XTBG, especially in their research programs and international leadership in Forest Ecology, Tropical Plant Systematics, and Conservation Biology. But first I must recognize the great strides that XTBG has made in th

19、e development of landscape design and the botanical beauty of the gardens. Building on the basic structure that was established a half-century ago by the founders of the Garden, the aesthetic properties of the different sections both old and new have been greatly enhancedto attract visitors from aro

20、und the world who seek the tranquility and splendor of tropical plant life. As in all botanical gardens such transitions are always in progress.The programs of educational outreach and student training have also been greatly expanded over the last decade. Working with local indigenous and minority g

21、roups has resulted in their enhanced appreciation and respect for natural habitats in the Xishuangbanna region as well a new knowledge on theethnobotany of these peoples. At the same time XTBG has provided excellent training opportunities for Masters and Doctoral candidates in ecology and evolutiona

22、ry biology of tropical ecosystems. I have observed how these programs have added an important vibrancy to the Garden.From my perspective as a research scientist at the Smithsonian, I have been most impressed with the scientific achievements of XTBG. It is impossible to cover the entire spectrum of r

23、esearch activities at the Garden so I will provide simply a few examples of the programs which I have seen in action first hand. With regards to the taxonomy of tropical plants, one of the recognized successes is the digitization of images of the entire herbarium at the Garden making these specimens

24、 accessible to researchers anywhere around the world. In tropical forest ecology, highly successful projects are now in progress on the evolutionary ecology of pollination and dispersal of gingers and figs a well as ecosystem function. Recently XTBG has established a new 20-hectar forest dynamics pl

25、ot as part of Center for Tropical Forest Science worldwide consortium. I will speak more about research in the CTFS plots later today. I am equally impressed with the newly established program in Forest Genomics, headed up by Dr. Chuck Cannon, which will take the Gardens in new directions of underst

26、anding the evolution of tropical forest communities. Finally the new efforts toward the development of biofuels through genetic engineering and breeding programs for Jatropha and oil palms as alternative fuel sources promises to be an important new resource for innovation and funding for XTBGPerhaps

27、one of the most impressive achievementsis the leadership role that XTBG has taken in international tropical biology activities, especially with regards to the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation and other such organizations. ATBC is the largest professional society devoted to understan

28、ding and protecting the biodiversity of the tropics and XTBG has played a significant part in the activities of the Association. Both asCouncilors in governing ATBC and as member so the editorial board of the journal Biotropica Dr. Chen Jin, Dr. Cao Min, and Dr. Li Qing-Jun have played important rol

29、es. XTBG also hosted the ATBC Annual Meeting in Kunming in 2006 bringing to China tropical biologists from around the world. The Garden has recently taken an innovative step by proposing to launch a new open access on-line journal on tropical conservation biology. This effort has been initiated in c

30、onjunction with the Asian-Pacific Chapter of ATBC with Chen Jin as its current president. These are all hardly trivial endeavors and reflect the important role that XTBG is playing in the international scientific arena.I should also mention that XTBG will be hosting the 5th International Symposium o

31、n Ginger Family in July of this year and Qing-Jun was able to out-compete the Smithsonian, who also bid on hosting the conference!Why do we and XTBG even want to conserve tropical forests? It is importrant to ask this question in the context of celebrating the past and future of this Garden. Scienti

32、sts, many working in the tropics, were among the early town criers who alerted the world to the expanding degradation of natural habitats and the pending extinction of species due to human activities. The earliest rationale for saving these habitats and preventing extinction was the morale obligatio

33、n of the citizens of the planet to respect life in all its forms. This reason for protecting ecosystems was soon replaced by the need to put an actual monetary value on biodiversity in order to enhance the respect for it, which led to the recognition of the importance of the intellectual property ri

34、ghts of species and local knowledge about them, especially that knowledge held by indigenous peoples living in high biodiversity areas. This rationale in many cases acted in certain ways to inhibit our abilities as scientists to study the organisms and their habitats. So far we have little to prove

35、that the expected riches to be gained from natural products are real. So now we have moved into the current rationale of protecting ecosystemsbecause of the services that they provide humanity, whether they are clean air, clean water, pollinators, or carbon sinks. Natural habitats must be preserved to maintian these services, which are vital to our continued existence on earth.In conclusion in its fifty years of existence, XTBG has moved from a garden embedded in a landscape of ch